Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented Dec. 4, I900.

.J. WALTON. AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

/ N VENTOI? W/T/VESSES w: Norms PETERS no. vucraumu, wuumpvon, n4 cv JAMES WALTON, OF PHCENIOIA, NEW YORK.

ACQETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,312, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed February 27, 1900. Serial No. 6,721. \Ncgnoclel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WALTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phoenicia, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Gas-Generators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-generating apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for generating acetylene gas.

The object of my invention is to automatically regulate the flow of the gas and the supply of water to secure a uniform production of gas.

To this end my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Figure l is a sectionalelevation of an apparatus embodying my invention, and. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the adjustable lever.

The gasometer-bell 1 has at its top a flange 2, forming a chamber for the reception of ballast, such as sand B. From the gas-space of the said bell leads the stationary service-pipe 3, which may have a filter at its inner end, and into said gas-space leads an inlet-pipe 4, connected at its lower end with the purifyingchamber 5, which is filled with water and which is located at the bottom of the stationary body 6 of the gasometer. At its upper portion said body is widened, as indicated at 7, so that the rise and fall of the bell will not so materially affect the level of the water contained in the gasometer-body. The bell 1 is provided centrally with a tube 8, which dips into the gasometer-body and is closed at its upper end. Said closed upper end slides on a stationary safety-tube 9, closed at its upper end by a cap 9 the tube 9 communicating at its lower end with the atmosphere and being provided at its upper portion with an aperture 9. When the gasometer-bell 1 rises to an abnormally high position, the aperture 9 will be below the closed upper end of the tube 8, so that the excess of gas may pass out from the bell through the pipe 9 to the atmosphere.

To the gasometer-bell 1 is secured a bracket 10, rigidly connected with a rod 11, having sliding movement in a guide 12, secured to the stationary body 6. Said rod carries a weight or operating projection 13. The bracket 10 is further connected with a chain or cord 14 of greater length than the distance between the upper and lower ends of the rod 11, and said cord at its central portion is secured to the arm of a valve 15, located in a pipe 16, which connects the purifying-chamber 5 with the gas-generating chamber 20. The lower end of the chain 14 is secured to an arm 17, held on the rod 11 by nuts 18. It will be obvious that the arm 17 may be adjusted lengthwise of the rod 11, thus timing the operation of the valve 15. At its lower portion the pipe 16 has drain-cocks 19. The generator-chamber 29 has a removable top 21, normally held in place by means of a screw 22, fitting into a yoke 23. In the generator-chamber are arranged a plurality of carbid-receptacles 24, each provided with a bail and with a perforated bottom 26for instance, in the nature of wire-gauze. The generator 20 is located within and practically forms part of the jacket or outer receptacle 27, adapted to contain water for cooling purposes. At its bottom the outer receptacle 27 has apertures 28, which in practice come about centrally below the oarbid-receptacles 24:. Below the chamber or jacket 27 is located a water-chamber 29, having an inclined bottom 30 to direct the ashes or waste toward a cleaning-opening, closed by a cover 31, and adjacent to the bottom of the chamber 29 is located a drain-cock 32. From the upper portion of the chamber 29 leads a branch pipe 33, in which is located a valve-casing 34:, containing aspring-pressed valve 35. A lever 37 is pivotally connected at 38 with the valve-rod. The free end of this lever engages the weight or projection 13, while adjacent to the pivot the lever carries a roller 36, adapted to engage the casing 34 and to form a fulcrum for the lever 37. I prefer to construct the lever 37 with ajoint 37 so as to be able to adjust the normal position of the free end of the said lever. pipe 33 connects with a water-supply pipe 39,

The

provided with a drain-cock 40 and with a out- OK cook 41. At its upper portion said pipe has an aperture 42, and above said aperture the pipe 39 communicates with a pipe 43, which leads to the lower part of the pipe 33 or directly to the water-chamber 29. The pipes 39 and 43 may also communicate at their lower ends, as shown. The upper portions of the pipes 39 and 43 and the aperture 42 in the former are located within a waterreceptacle 44, and the upper end of the pipe 39 is open to the atmosphere.

To fill the generatonchamber 20, the cover or lid 21 is removed and the carbid-receptacles are inserted through the opening in the top of the said chamber. To fill the water-receptacle 44, the cock 41 is closed and water is poured into said receptacle. Then the cook 41 is opened and water will pass from the receptacle 44 through the pipes 39 and 33, through the valve 35, (which is then open,) the chamber 29, and the aperture 28 into the lower portion of the generator-chamber 20, so as to come in contact with the carbid contained in the receptacles 24. This is the condition shown in the drawings. The acetylene gas will then be generated in the wellknown manner, said gas passing from the upper portion of the chamber 20 through the pipe 16 into the purifying-chamber 5, then through the pipe 4 into the bell l, and out through the service-pipe 3. As the gas passes into the bell 1 the bell rises, causing the rod 11 and projection 13 to move with it. The valve 35 will gradually close by gravity, assisted in some cases by a spring, so as to cut ofi the supply of water from the water-chamber 29. The generation of the gas will thus be automatically regulated so as to lessen the danger of overproduction. When the bell 1 is practically full of gas, the chain 14 will become taut and will turn the cock or valve 15 to cut oif the fiow of gas from the generator 20 to the gasometer. Should, however, an extra large amount of gas reach the gasometer-bell, the surplus will be allowed to escape to the atmosphere as soon as the closed end of the tube 8 rises above theaperture 9 of the safetytube 9. To prevent any detrimental action in case gas should continue to be generated in the chamber 20 after the closing of the cock or valve 15, I have provided the pipe 43. Through this pipe water and gas will be expelled from the water-chamber 29 into the water-receptacle 44 and into the atmosphere in case the amount of gas generated after the closing of the valve 15 should be greater than can be held in the chambers 20 and 29. When the gasometer-bell 1 sinks again, the projection 13 will strike the free end of the lever 37, causing the valve 35 to open, so as to admit a fresh amount of water to the chamber 29 and the gas-generator 20. At about the same time the lower portion of the chain 14, which so far was slack, becomes taut and turns the arm of the valve 15 so as to open said valve.

The operation will thus be repeated indefinitely as long as gas is being generated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A gas-generator provided with a watersupply pipe, a gasometer connected with the generator, a rod carried by the gasometerbell and having guided movement on the gasometer-body, a projection on said rod, a spring-pressed valve in the supply-pipe, and a lever fulcrumed on the casing of said valve and to the pivoted end of which the valve is pivotally connected, said lever being provided with an outer pivoted and adjustable section extending into the path of the projection of the said rod, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generator, a gasometer, a pipe connecting the generator and gasometer, and a valve in said pipe, of a bracket carried by the gasometer-bell, a rod projecting downwardly from the bracket and provided with an arm at its lower end, and a chain or cord secured between its ends to an arm of the valve and having its ends secured to the bracket and arm, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generator, a valved water-supply pipe there for, a gasometer, a rod carried by the gasometer, and means for operating the said valve from the rod, of a pipe connecting the generator and gasometer, a valve in said pipe, and a chain or cord secured between its ends to the said valve and having its ends secured to the rod and to the support thereof, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-generator, the combination with a generator, a valved water-supply pipe for the generator, a gasometer, and a valved pipe connecting the generator and gasometer, of a lever operatively connected with the valve in the water-supply pipe, a rod carried by the gasometer-bell and provided with a projection, into the path of which the free end of the said lever projects, and a flexible connection between the valve in the pipe connecting the generator and gasometer and the rod and its supporting-bracket, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the generator, having a water-chamber at its bottom, the wa ter-receptacle, the supply-pipe leading from the receptacle to the generator, and extending upwardly therethrough, the upper end of said supply-pipe being open to the atmosphere, said pipe also having an opening within the water-receptacle, and the relief-pipeleading from the water-chamberof the generator to the upper part of the supply-pipe.

6. The combination of the generator, having a water-chamber at its bottom, the waterreceptacle, the supply-pipe leading from the receptacle to the generator, and extending upwardly through the receptacle, the upper end of said supply-pipe being open to the name to this specification in the presence of atmosphere, said pipe also having an opentwo subscribing Witnesses. ing within the Water-receptacle, and the re- I lief-pipe leading from the Water-chamber of JAMES WALTON 5 the generator to the upper part of the supply- Witnesses:

pipe. A. J. SIMPSON,

In testimony whereof I have signed my GEO. N. LONGYEAR; 

